


Losing Streak

by brightephemera



Series: Knights of the Waking Alliance Chronicles [5]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Gen, Mandalorians - Freeform, Mercenaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 19:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13395090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightephemera/pseuds/brightephemera
Summary: The Imperial Agent's mission shouldn't have ended in a rout. Mako thinks she knows who to blame.





	Losing Streak

**Author's Note:**

> Timing: Chapter 8 of KotET because to hell with you, canon, we have enough player characters to cover all bases

Mako's shoulders and back still burned from the effort of dragging Torian toward the dropship. If Calline hadn't jumped to haul them both in, they wouldn't have made it.

The tall Chiss had her helmet off. <Good work>, she said in Mando'a to the others where they sat in mutual wound-binding, and turned to where Torian lay.

“We were swamped,” Mako said quietly. “Five more minutes and they would've wiped us out.”

She worked while she talked. The blood-gemmed cuts, the blackened blaster burns. There wasn't enough material for everyone. Mako defended her supplies with bared teeth. Her heart beat a crazed counterpoint to her lover's slow breathing.

“We should've pulled out earlier,” said Mako.

“No,” said Calline. She ran armored fingertips down Torian's arm and straightened his sleeve lightly over his bruised hand.

“We're not their soldiers,” said Mako. “We look out for each other first.”

“My brother’s the strategist,” Calline said slowly.

Right, and that bloodbath had been such a triumph of strategy. “Your brother sent us to die.”

Calline was doing that thing, taking an eon to process between sentences. “I trust him.”

Mako tied off a bandage and let her hand rest over Torian’s sluggish heartbeat again. “If your brother is so trustworthy, where was he when they were shooting Torian? Do you even care? He could have died! Is that good for you? One less person who ever saw you admit you were less than perfect? It must be killing you.” Calline sat impassively, red eyes fixed. “Torian almost died on a mission that your brother didn’t reinforce us for! Why are you so calm? Our deaths won't convince him to notice you!”

Calline's hand shot out and gripped Mako's aching shoulder. “Stop now,” she said flatly.

Mako couldn’t. “We're all disposable to you, is that it? Is that the deal you got with the higher-ups? One fucking blaze of glory in exchange for his approval? How can you even think about trusting him on those terms?”

Mako wore her heart on her sleeve. It made it hard to understand those who kept theirs in their pockets. “He trusts me,” said Calline, slow and level as ever. “And I almost failed him and you. Now that makes me mad.” She popped her helmet on and turned away.

Mako tended. She didn't try to pin blame to that blank wall again. Torian breathed, that was the important part. Torian breathed, and Calline looked out at something Mako couldn't see.


End file.
